Gilderoy Lockhart struck a gallant pose in front of his mirror.

The fur-trimmed, periwinkle-blue robes that draped across his elegant frame looked fit for a king. And with his perfect, golden locks, sparkling, sapphire eyes, and perfect complexion, he wouldn't be surprised if he was mistaken for an angel.

"Looking lovely again today, dear," his mirror complimented him in a sultry voice. He shot it a dazzling smile, watching his reflection beam back at himself, before heading down to the Great Hall to showcase his stunning talents once more. The crowds loved him, even when he was judging the brats' duels instead of excelling in his own.

Thrusting the heavy, double doors open, Gilderoy stepped into a winter wonderland, specially commissioned by yours truly. Immense ice sculptures of magical creatures lined the sides of the room: unicorns, dragons, sphinxes, and others of that ilk. No icicles this time, though; he shuddered as he remembered how Sylvester had used them so viciously. That boy was a menace!

Instead, though, enchanted, glass balls of light hovered near the ceiling and floated around the room as powdery, white flakes fell. A troop of heavily-bundled dwarves wandered through the room, grabbing fistfuls of snow and throwing them at the spectators and making a general commotion. The platforms themselves were decorated with snowmen at the corners, decked out in red and yellow, which matched their carrot noses perfectly. Lumps of coal for the eyes, branches for their arms. Only one thing was out of place... and Lockhart's eyes fell upon his dueling assistant, drab and unfashionable as usual. At this point, he had almost given up in transforming the other man. Almost.

"Welcome, once again, to a new set of dueling. Today, we have the courageous lions of Gryffindor facing off against the ferocious badgers of Hufflepuff! Who will win in this battle of wit and skill?" Lockhart announced grandly, his robes swirling around him as he stepped onto the dais. He paused for a moment to allow his appreciative audience to admire him, then continued, "Duelists! Take your places. On my mark, now. Bow... and begin!"

As jets of lights began to flash and shouts echoed through the room, Gilderoy approached his colleague, shaking his head.

"Really, Severus. People are going to think you're boring and don't have any fun," the man chided, gesturing to the plain, black robes. "A little color wouldn't go amiss, you know. And if you'd like any tips-"

"Go judge the duels, Lockhart," Snape interrupted with a scowl, stalking away before the other man could continue.

Standing across the face of his full-length mirror, Grey was staring at his posture, while his thoughts were currently consumed by his imagination, as usual. This event was one of those which always made him feel restless and nervous. His looks were the least of his worries during that time. What mattered most was winning, as a group in particular.

He was up since the past three hours much earlier than he was supposed to. It was neither excitement nor enthusiasm he felt, rather anxiety kept his eyes and thought from sleeping. The shadows of his past experience in dueling kept bothering him and made him jump into conclusions.

After a few moments of daydreaming, reality came back to his senses. Grey picked up his silk robe embroidered with the symbol of Hufflepuff and wore it on top of his uniform. For the last time, he looked at the mirror, did some finishing touches, looked directly at his eyes and gave himself a powerful determined stare.

I'm ready, he muttered followed by a deep gasp of breath. Eventually, he left the common room and headed to the Great Hall.

The moment he arrived at the Great Hall, his face showed a positive impression of the venue's ambiance. As usual, Professor Lockhart didn't fail to impress everyone with his creation. He may be bad at most things but he sure did nail it this time. This place is astonishing, he commended. He should shift to teaching Magical Arts, in my opinion. He rocks at it.

He walked in and observed his surroundings. He was quite allured with all the enchanted decorations especially that there were ice sculptures. Am I the only one getting anxiously excited about this? he asked himself after noticing that his fellow teammates haven't arrived yet. But right after he spoke, Grey sighted Sarah and Seth entering the Great Hall. Well I suppose not, he concluded. The two walked to the center, near the platforms, where Grey had been waiting for quite a while. Another person approached them. An unfamiliar face therefore he assumed she was new. But he hated meeting new

people, unless they were girls that seemed very attractive for him. He simply wanted to be alone most of the time. Grey didn't talk to her. He didn't even bother to know her name.

Time passed quickly -- especially for Grey who was extremely antsy during that time. The duels were about to start yet there was still one member missing. Then there was Char, running and catching her breath. Here comes trouble, he whispered followed by a whistle.

So cute, Grey muttered after he saw Char who was trying to reason out something while catching her breath. Perspiration was flowing, and her face was all red, yet he still found it very attractive. Anything about her made him blush. It was Char for God's sake -- the girl whom he truly fancied. He already asked her to go out for about many times, but he always made sure that there would be no conflict with his other girls. If he got caught, he would definitely be doomed.

Before things got worse, Grey decided to budge in. He held Sarah's shoulder and tried to take her away from Char. Whoa. Okay. The duels are about to start. Discuss that later... he said as if he really meant it. His main purpose was actually to save Char from prying words.

Hope I'm not that obvious.

Few moments after, the matches started to commence. The echo of Lockhart's voice signifies that the duel had begun. "Duelists! Take your places, he instructed. Same as before, he tried to keep away the anxiety and bring all the focus and determination to his mind. After he got the courage he needed, he faced forth towards the opponent and gave her one friendly smile.

"On my mark, now. Bow... and begin!" said Lockhart.

Without further ado, he lifted his arm and waved his wand in the air, Protego Totalum! A static protective shield covered with radiant lights was created. He felt less anxious after a see-through protective bubble covered his surface. That's just to lessen the risks. An offense is not the way it is without an assault right? he said to his opponent followed by a quick series of actions. With arms stretched forth, Grey pointed his wand precisely to his target and shouted, Confundo! A slight spark was formed on the tip of his wand and a vicious air-like energy ragingly flew out eventually. His spell

flew as fast as the fireworks racing up to the sky. As he was watching his spell to take effect, he felt fulfilled somehow yet still worried at the same time.

One step at a time... and when that time comes, then it'll be over. Lena was so not in the mood for dueling today, mostly because of three things.

First, she had stayed up late last night finishing her Transfiguration essay that was due the next day. She supposed that was partly her fault since the assignment was given around two weeks ago, but who could resist the allure of roaming the Hogwarts grounds? It was certainly preferable than being cooped up inside the castle all day. This morning though, the pull of her bed was stronger than the pull of the outside world.

Second, her wand had chosen that exact time, the day of the duel, to play Hide and Seek and refused to come out. Right after waking up, Lena had felt for the precious wood where it always was: on her bedside table. A jolt of panic rushed through her as she discovered that, in fact, it was not there. And what was even worse than losing one's wand? Losing the said wand with a duel scheduled an hour later. Lena was so close to pulling her hair out and just flopping down on her bed again. After several panicstricken minutes of searching and several flailing moments, she finally found it where almost all lost objects end up under the bed. How had it gotten there? Lena didn't know and didn't care.

Lastly, Lena was simply not a morning person at all. She wasn't a night owl either. Who decided to hold a duel at such an ungodly hour anyway?

Lena trudged blearily through the hallways and pushed open the doors to the Great Hall weakly. It creaked softly and opened a tiny bit, and then pushed her out again. Way to make an entrance, she told herself, smiling. She pushed the giant, wooden gates with greater force, and she was finally allowed to enter.

A blast of cold wind greeted her as she into the hall. Her blue eyes took in her surroundings warily. It looks like Khione's palace in here, Lena mused. Khione was the Greek goddess of snow. There was snow everywhere, and the students seemed to be enjoying it. Her eyes settled on massive ice sculptures that were lined up across the room, and more specifically, on an ice dragon. I wonder if anyone will notice if I

miraculously bring that dragon to life and fly away from here on its back. Lena shook her head and smiled, waving those kinds of thoughts away.

Excuse me... duelist coming through... um, excu- don't you dare step on my foot! Lena whispered angrily as a burly fifth year nearly stepped on said foot. It was not good to get on Lena's bad side this morning, as she was a bit out of sorts. She pushed through the crowd quickly, fed up with the traffic.

Lena took her place near the center and listened to Lockhart drone on about wits and skills. Finally, she lowered herself into a slight curtsy, the hems of her robes pooling at her feet. A frown passed across her face quickly as she realized her opponent wasn't going to introduce himself. Well, if that's the way he wants it. I'm not going to introduce myself either. She arranged her body into the standard dueling position, her wand ready.

Defense first. Protego Totalum! escaped her lips. A small, transparent bubble appeared in front of her. Bigger, little bubble, she whispered. The bubble grew bigger and bigger until it was a little bubble no more. It had grown large enough to cover a large area around Lena. The protective bubble-like shield emitted sparks from time to time. Its colors were radiant, not unlike those of the Aurora Borealis. While her barrier was forming, the Gryffindor watched as her opponent had cast a shield charm around himself too. That's just to lessen the risks. An offense is not the way it is without an assault right? Lena heard her opponent call out, but she was not given a chance to speak. Confundo! the Hufflepuff shouted. A jet of light flew towards Lena quickly. Hasn't he ever heard of ladies first'? she said quietly. Confundo, eh? Not on my watch.

Of course. An assault is always within the nature of an offense, Lena called out with an agreeable smile in response to her opponent. Hopefully, my defense is strong enough to withhold his offense. Maybe I should add an assault of my own too..

Lena made a split-second decision. Raising her wand for the second time, she shouted, Serpensortia! A green snake emerged from the wand and claimed a small spot on the dueling platform as its own. It didn't pose much of a threat, but after her next spell, perhaps it would be a different matter. Like my new pet? she called out to her opponent, her free hand hovering above the serpent's head. She took an appraising look at it and turned her attention back to her current enemy. Bit slimy, but he's fine, Lena continued. I have a feeling he won't take kindly to you, though.

Lena stood her ground behind her barrier. The Gryffindor wasn't scared, and she sure as heck wasn't going to show any hint of cowardice against assault. What kind of Gryffindor would she be if she did not even have the courage to stand strong in a fight? A liability, that's what she would be. Lena gripped her wand tightly. No. She would make the members of the Gryffindor House proud of her. Even if it's the last thing I do.

She watched as the jet of light came closer and closer. As it hit a point somewhere near the middle of her shield, Lena winced involuntarily. A shower of sparks fell on the platform as the shield somehow absorbed the spell. It shimmered, and a wave of colours radiated from the center and traveled its own course to the tips of the shield. Relief rushed through her like a wave in the ocean. Allured, she raised her free hand tentatively in front of her. Her palm touched a small part of the aegis that surrounded her. It felt smooth and adamantine, yet still jelly-like. Lena's touch sent another pretty wave of colours racing through the shield. She smiled, her sour mood gone.

Lena resisted the urge to taunt her opponent. In a parallel universe, she could have uttered, Ha! What can you say about that?, but she was not like that. Even in a duel, she still liked to retain her manners and remain as proper as possible.

I just don't want to know what happens to that snake, murmured Professor Lockhart from a few feet away. You have to keep your eyes on the duel, Professor! Lena called out with a smile, but she wasn't sure if the professor heard her.

I wonder how the others are doing? Lena snuck a glance at her surroundings. Her teammates seemed to be handling their own pretty well, encased in their own domes. So far, so good. It was a great start. She turned her attention back to her own duel and pondered her next actions.

A quiet yelp escaped her as something slimy slithered by her legs. It was her snake, curled near her feet as if to remind her it was still there at her service. I know you're here to protect me, but could you please move over there a little? she whispered to the serpent. Lena didn't hate snakes, but she didn't have an affinity for them either. The snake emitted a slow hiss, uncurled its body, and slithered over a few paces to the right. Hm. It understood me, but I can't speak Parseltongue. That much was proven a few years ago. She was over at a friend's house which was also home to their pet snake. Lena didn't understand how someone could willingly house the slimy things. I mean, what if it slithers over you while you sleep? She had tried to talk to it, but it merely stared at her with its slitted eyes silently for a few moments and then slinked away.

The roar of the crowd pulled her from the past and into the present. She realized with a jolt that she had not yet fought back against her opponent. Lena raised her wand into the air and kept it steady. Oppugno! she called out. The snake's tongue darted out and started slithering slowly towards her opponent with a purpose: to harm.

Aqua Eructo! she exclaimed. The icy-blue light that came from her wand nearly blinded her due to its close proximity. A steady stream of water burst from the tip of her wand. She directed the stream under the snake, and once the water was beneath it, strengthened the water flow and speed. Doing so propelled the viper into the air. Up, up, and away! she murmured, putting all her concentration in what she was going to do next. Lena pushed the water and with it, the snake away from her towards her opponent's shield. It was quite a sight -- a serpent traveling the air with the help of water.

Looks like someone's getting a shower, she quietly said, but with clothes.

She watched intently as her snake neared her opponent, still propelled by the jet of water with its head poised to bite. Come on, my viper, she whispered. Do it for me. The snake opened its mouth, showing its fangs, ready to strike.

It failed.

The spell clashed with the opponent's barrier, but didn't have any significant effect. Nothing but a thud and a sizzle of the banished spell resulted from his attack. Nonetheless, failure didn't get his hopes down. As long as he was alive, he would fight. Quitting was one of the words he had removed from his vocabulary a long time ago.

His shield was still up. He still had protection. There was nothing else to worry about now, except for the serpent which could, at any time, be triggered by its master to attack. After a few moments, a voice echoed from the opposite side. Like my new pet? Bit slimy, but he's fine. I have a feeling he won't take kindly to you, though, the Gryffindor said.

A snake? Are you kidding me? I can totally handle snakes. I used to date a few, if you know what I mean." The Hufflepuff boy said that in the same tone as Lena, and chuckled. He mentioned dating snakes, which actually meant that he had dated a few Slytherin girls. At the back of his mind, Grey was thinking of all the ways in which the snake could attack him. He thought, Oppugno, most probably. I wonder, though: What other spell could she be planning to use?

While Lockhart was making his usual comments, Grey took the chance to check his fellow duelists' situations. All of them were doing well, but it was Char, his lovely Char, who caught his attention. It was neither her pretty face nor her stunning gestures that made him stare at her platform as long as he did. Suddenly, Grey was smiling like a fool for some reason. It was those birds. Those little creatures made him remember that cute expression of Char after his so-called bird-poop-in-Char's-face incident. Grey giggled and whispered, Oh that expression rocked.

I wonder how she'll handle them. She won't go easy for sure.

Grey cheered for Char mentally. Go Char!!! His cheering thoughts, if converted to words, would definitely become a loud voice, heard by everyone in the Great Hall. Much time had passed since he'd begun to stare at her. It had been one of his concerns before the duel to not think of Char during important times like this. Unlike what others might have thought, Grey's feelings for her were genuine. He had one worry, though his reputation. Imagining Char thinking him as a player, heart breaker or jerk made him worry a lot.

No! This time it's real. Believe me it's true.. true.. true.. true... His thoughts, floating like bubbles, gradually faded, as the loud noise of the crowd reached his consciousness. It signified that the duels had resumed. Now, to mind my own duel. Grey's heart was pounding. One reason was Char; the other one was anxiety. He couldn't calm down. There still was a sort of question mark lingering before him.

A few minutes of idleness later, his opponent made a sudden move, and eventually shouted, Oppugno! After the spell had been cast, the snake transformed immediately to its wild side, ready to give its fangs a bite. Aqua Eructo! she yelled again. Water blasted from her wand and pushed the snake to Grey.

Grey eyed the raging snake as it came close to him. Before it passed the middle of the platform, he raised his left arm and aimed his wand with precision to the long, limbless reptile. Aresto Momentum!

Diminuendo! he shouted in quick succession. His wand released an outburst of powerful energy, followed by a flickering white light, coursing rapidly to hit the snake. Though his spells hadn't reached their destination yet, Grey was already able to visualize the outcome. The snake's speed would reduce as it clashed with the first spell, and then it would shrink, getting to the size of a worm as it made contact with the white, flickering light. It would become so small and weak. So weak, its bite would be just as painless as an ants. Grey smirked.

What can a worm do now? Just imagining the outcome's making me grin from ear to ear. Exactly as he visualized, Grey's spells turned out to be successful. The stream of water, which used to be raging like a waterfall, became impact less powerful as it lost its velocity. The snake, popularly known as a vicious creature, became harmless as if it could be beaten and played by a five year old child.

Ehem! I'm so sorry for your snake milady, Grey said to Lena in a slight mocking yet polite tone. I told you I can handle snakes, but I forgot to mention that the fierce and pushy ones are my favorite just for fun, if you would ask me, he resumed, staring at the mini-sized serpent.

Don't worry. I'm your new master now. Don't expect too much though, because literally, I don't like snakes. Wild thoughts of how to make use of the snake made him grin. Grey smiled hopefully. That smile signified that he seemed to have an evil plan.

Well done both of you! That was an excellent combination Lena! Too bad your snaked bark was bigger that its bite! Lockhart commented and turned out that no one found his joke amusing. And excellent work from our Defense! Looks like Hufflepuff knows how to stop some things in their tracks, he continued, commending the innovative defense of Grey.

As a response to Lockhart's complementary words, Grey bowed with majesty, like a prince stooped down with a graceful and elegant bearing. Well thank you Professor. Let's just say, some people learn from their mistakes, Grey replied, reminiscing his past dueling experience.

In the middle of the roaring crowd's voice, Grey looked around to check his colleagues. To check meant to examine but for Grey it was Char only who was worth examining. Wow. She's doing great! No doubt why she became one of our captains, he muttered, his face blushing. Go Char!!! he shouted unexpectedly. That time, it was real. His voice echoed through the walls of the hall. Before Char turned

her head to check whose voice called her name, Grey faced the other direction to avoid exposing his embarrassing pink face.

Grey Fulbuster clapped his hands in a very noble manner, showing his eagerness to continue the duel. Alright, so what do I do again? His mind was washed away by embarrassment which happened a lot of times. In such cases, his focus would return after a minute of reversion process. In an instant, as just a minute, he was back to the match. Oh snap. I did it again.

Without further ado, he lifted his wand, pointed it to the snake and shouted, Densaugeo! A powerful sphere of white light emerged from his wand going forth to the swollen serpent. The snake regained its confidence after its fangs grew bigger than normal big enough to make an assault. Now back to your original master, he said. Aqua Eructo! he screamed suddenly. A jet of crystal clear water erupted from his wand pushing the snake, fangs on ready and still influenced by rage caused by Oppugno, to Lena who was currently protected by a just mere bubble.

Come on baby, give yourself an overwhelming bite! he talked to the snake as if he was a parselmouth. Lena released a gasp of indignation as her precious snake was reduced to nothing more than a tiny worm. Her blood threatened to boil over. Well, isn't that just dandy, she thought sarcastically. The Gryffindor's eyes narrowed as she valiantly struggled to keep her anger in check. Lena was not a patient person, nor was she one to be easily swayed by defeat, but this duel was definitely testing her limits. There were many things that lit the end of her short fuse; frustration was one of them.

She heard something coming from the other end of the platform. I told you I can handle snakes, but I forgot to mention that the fierce and pushy ones are my favorite just for fun, if you would ask me, Her opponent she still had no idea what his name was called out. Lena raised an eyebrow in response and opened her mouth to speak. She was interrupted.

Well done both of you! That was an excellent combination Lena! Professor Lockhart exclaimed. Lena's spirits soared. It felt good to be complimented. Although it was only Professor Lockhart, the dueling master (whose dueling prowess was yet to be proven), it was still something. She couldn't afford to be picky after all.

Too bad your snake's bark was bigger than its bite! Lena heard the professor say, which earned him a few half-hearted giggles from the crowd. The professor was obviously looking for something more than that it showed in his face. Poor Lockhart. She tried not to burst into laughter at the professor's expense, not at his joke. That was so lame I almost heard crickets.

Her opponent kept looking at a point over Lena's shoulder. She had noticed it quite a long time ago, but had chosen not to pay any attention to it. Lena had even caught him smiling like an idiot once. But her curiosity got the better of her. I wonder what could be so interesting over there. She craned her neck and followed her opponent's gaze to a different dueling platform. Her teammate, Diana, and the Hufflepuff co-captain Char, was it? were engaged in their own duel. Lena looked back at her opponent, who was still staring, and back again to Diana and Char. Ah, Lena breathed, finally getting what was going on. Looks like someone's got a bad case of... Her thoughts trailed off; something else had caught her attention. Char had successfully turned Diana's birds against their caster. Diana was dripping wet and was about to fend off the birds. I do hope she'll be alright, Lena muttered worriedly.

Go Char!!! Lena nearly jumped, but caught herself just in time. The yell had come from her opponent, whose face was turning an embarrassing shade of pink. His action had confirmed her suspicions. He couldn't be more obvious. She was right.

Before Lena had the chance to tease him about it, her opponent shook himself out of his daydreams. Densaugeo! Lena watched in shock as he enlarged her snake's fangs. Aqua Eructo! One second, the snake was under her command. The next, it was riding a jet of water towards her with an intent to harm her instead. Its extra large fangs looked grotesque compared to the rest of its limbless body. I don't think so, she murmured, her wand at the ready. He likes Char, eh? I wonder how he would feel if I take a page out of her spell book.

Lena pointed her wand at the incoming serpent currently riding the water. Aresto Momentum! she shouted. Something fog-like and barely visible erupted from her wand and surged towards the snake. Aqua Eructo! she added. Lena didn't like repeating spells in the same duel, but Aqua Eructo was probably the best choice she had in her arsenal at the moment. For the second time, a jet of cold water emerged from her wand punctuated by an icy-blue light. She twirled her wand in front of her, increasing the water's strength.

When she was satisfied, she flung her arm forward for extra strength and force. Lena pointed her wand at her opponent's own jet of water. It clashed with his jet of water head-on. Hopefully, her stream of

water would be powerful enough to push her opponent's stream away from her and back to its caster. Hopefully, her stream of water would be powerful enough to push her opponent's stream, including the strange-looking worm, away from her and back to its caster. Not only that, but if Lady Luck were on Lena's side today, her jet of water combined with the strength of her opponent's would penetrate and break the Hufflepuff's barrier and reach her opponent himself. I don't want to kill him, but I'm pretty sure he's due for a visit with Madame Pomfrey.

Lena panted from the effort, but didn't cease to push the water away from her even more. She placed her right leg in front of her left and leaned back in order to give the water more force. You must be swift as a coursing river, she sung the lyrics to a song from a Muggle movie under her breath. With all the strength of a great typhoon..

You mentioned earlier about dating a few snakes? A slow grin crept over Lena's face as she teased her opponent. Obviously, that didn't turn out well for you, Lena resumed, raising her voice to be heard above the roaring water. How about your fellow badgers, though? Unrequited, I presume.

This is just like an inverted game of tug-of-war, she murmured to herself, still sustaining her jet of water. But instead of tugging, we push. We both don't want to receive the snake on our end and receive a nasty surprise.